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The Cleveland Browns selected Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with the 52nd pick in the NFL Draft. There generally is not a ton of hype for second round picks as rookies, but Owusu-Koramoah is bucking that trend. Jeremiah is a rangy linebacker with a lot of potential, but he fell due to some injury concerns and other worries with his on-ball play.
The Browns made a savvy move to trade up and draft a player who fills a huge need for them up the middle. Owusu-Koramoah will likely be an immediate starter for Cleveland and he will have a huge responsibility as a middle linebacker.
The middle linebacker can be one of the most demanding positions in football and Owusu-Koramoah will have to rally the troops for war on every down. Here are three predictions for his impact on the Browns' defense.
Browns outlook: 1) Changing the Geography
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a 6'2 linebacker with impressive size. He is a super strong and rangy linebacker who has the versatility to play in coverage, rush, and prevent runs. This versatility will change the geography of the entire defense. He can put pressure on an offense in both the passing and the running game. That versatility is crucial for any defense and it will grease the wheels of the entire Browns team on that end.
Owusu-Koramoah is going to allow the Browns to play with many different alignments. He can play in almost any defensive package and scheme.
Specifically, he can make the nickel packages that the Browns like to run very effective. His ability to drop into coverage while being able to fill gaps is vital.
He will make the jobs of Denzel Ward and the other members of the Browns' secondary much easier.
2) Organizing the Troops
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The job of any middle linebacker is to be the quarterback of the defense. Owusu-Koromoah has the ability to do this, but he will need to do it at a higher level than he did in college. The Browns are a very high-IQ defense, but they have lacked a true decision maker on audibles and other on-the-field decisions.
Owusu-Koromoah is also an excellent tackler, this allows for the Browns to play talented coverage man but poor tackler, Greedy Williams. Williams has struggled thus far in his NFL career but Owusu-Koromoah allows him the flexibility to play his way. The versatility granted by a good middle linebacker is unmatched.
3) Strategic Attack
The Browns get to play such a versatile and impressive defensive attack if Owusu-Koromoah works out. They will get to play a ton of varied lineups and this allows them to play with incredibly strategic sets. They can attack every offense with different looks based on opposing personnel.
The Browns could potentially have a top 10 defense next year, and that could be because of the contributions of rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah.
Predicting the stats for Owusu-Koromoah on the Browns is tough because linebackers can have incredibly varied stats from year to year. One could expect him to have at least one pick and one sack though, due to his versatility to play in coverage and rush.
He could very well be the top rookie tackler for the Browns, similar to how Darius Leonard was in his rookie season. His top-end talent is immense and he does a great job at making tackles. He is constantly in the right place at the right time and that will do him wonders in the future.
